The most shocking deaths in ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8, episode 3

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “GAME OF THRONES” SEASON 8, EPISODE 3

Winter has come and gone — and not everyone made it out alive.

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Both beloved characters, and feared ones, were killed off during the epic battle at Winterfell castle in Sunday night’s episode of “Game of Thrones.”

Clocking in at an hour and 22 minutes, the third episode of Season 8 was the longest-ever installment of the hit HBO fantasy show.

The battle, in the making since Season 1 when the warning of “winter” was first given, featured the face-off between the living and the dead ― or the evil Night King’s army of icy White Walkers and zombie-like creatures.

The biggest — and best — death of the night came when Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) showed up just as the Night King was about to harm her brother Bran. She jumped into the air with her dagger in hand, and though the Night King turned around in time to grab her by the throat, she still manages to stab him.

This not only kills the Night King, but as planned, also finishes off the White Walkers and wights, or the corpses he’d raised back to “life” to fight for him.

As predicted, episode 3 also saw the death of several protagonists.

Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, cradles Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen) as he succumbs to his battle injuries in "Game of Thrones" Season 8, episode 3. (Helen Sloan/HBO)

Among the most significant was Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen), who died protecting his beloved Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). Jorah got pretty beaten up through the course of the battle, but it wasn’t until after the Night King was killed that we saw him slowly slip away, cradled in Dany’s arms as she wept.

Also gone is Theon Greyjoy (Alfie Allen), a character who betrayed the honorable House Stark in the series’ early days, but has fought hard to redeem himself in recent seasons. He volunteered to protect Bran as he acted as bait for the Night King, and lost his life lunging at the villain, who pierced Theon with a stick in his side.

Before Theon’s last heroic act, Bran confirmed his redemption by telling him, "Theon, you’re a good man. Thank you.”

Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy in Season 8, episode 3 of "Game of Thrones." (Helen Sloan/HBO)

Early on in the episode, Lady Lyanna Mormont (Bella Ramsey) — a badass leader and fan favorite kid character — suffered one of the episode’s most shocking and gruesome deaths.

She was first bashed in the head by a giant that fought for the White Walkers. True to form, the battered and bloodied child refused to stand down and confronted the beast. He picked her up and crushed her to death in his hand, but not before she stabbed him in the eye with dragonglass, killing him.

Despite the tragic deaths, all of the main characters — besides the Night King — are going into the next episode with their lives in tact and they managed to win the battle at Winterfell.

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With the Night King gone, they’re ready to take on their next enemy — the just-as-evil Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). Things should get interesting now that her brother/lover/baby-daddy Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) is fighting for the other side.

There are just three episodes left in this final season of “Game of Thrones.”